


I Similau

by ChapterandVerse



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Voltron: Legendary Defender
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-09
Updated: 2018-10-09
Packaged: 2019-07-28 09:35:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,307
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16238948
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChapterandVerse/pseuds/ChapterandVerse
Summary: The wizarding community is confronted with threats from inside and outside. Harry finds out his father's identity. Lucius is interested in an unusual person, not the usual suspects. Later in the story, they discover the universe is bigger than they ever imagined.





	1. Chapter 1

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry, Ron, and Hermione have surprises during the Welcome Back to School Feast. Severus Snape gets a new position and Lucius Malfoy prowls the halls at Hogwarts. There is a new Commission in town and everybody gets a test.

The Great Hall was noisy. Harry was doing his best to pay attention to the thread of the conversation with Hermione and Ron. It seemed the world was swirling too fast. The conversations, the implications, the people, the noise, the confusion – Harry gripped his fork and glass to reassure himself that it was real that he was not in a dream. One glance at the staff table told him how his reality had flipped. Severus Snape sat in the Headmaster's seat and Lucius Malfoy was next to him. This fact alone was enough to give The-Boy-Who-Lived a bad case of anxiety. Professors McGonagall and Sprout, like Dumbledore, were absent. This new arrangement of staff, along with the looming exam by the Commission, was the reason for the heightened noise level in the Great Hall. The introductions and greeting hadn't taken place, yet, so the hall was rife with speculation.

"…there will be many cases?"

"Sorry, I didn't catch that, Hermione," Harry said, jumping slightly as he turned toward her. "I was woolgathering. I -"

"Woolgathering? Where'd you learn that word?" Hermione asked as she put down her copy of the Daily Prophet. Ron didn't even look up. It would take a team of Aurors to separate the lanky red-head from his shepherd's pie.

"I read too, Hermione," Harry said, as he glanced furtively at the staff table. Snape and Lucius were in conversation, while Hagrid was mopping his eyes with a table-sized handkerchief and being patted on the back by Madam Pomfrey.

"Glad to know it," Hermione said, as she looked at the staff table. "I said, do you think there will be many cases of suspected abuse? The Commission says they aren't on a hunt, but many people think they are. The Daily Prophet, almost every day, has a story about a family fearing the removal of their children and the parents taken into custody. The Muggle-borns and half-bloods are really worried."

"Why," Harry asked, dragging his eyes from the figures of Snape and Malfoy. The thought of what those two could be plotting gave Harry shivers. "They reported about Neville and he was as Pure as they come."

"He was a single case. Think about it, Harry, Lucius Malfoy is on the Commission," Hermione said as she pointed to an article in the Daily Prophet. "The Daily Prophet just released the names of the members of the Commission. At that press conference, when Fudge introduced the Commission, he gave the number of members, not their names. Well, yesterday, Fudge released their names in response to a court order from the Wizengamot. Apparently, several families filed a legal petition for the release of the names under the Wizarding Freedom of Information Act."

"I – he's what," Harry stammered as he wiped up the pumpkin juice he had spilled in his lap. Ron finally came up for air from his decimated shepherd's pie, as Harry asked Hermione nervous questions. "How'd that happen? Why is Malfoy on the commission?"

"What's this about Malfoy", Ron asked as he put his fork down looking from Harry to Hermione.

"Honestly," Hermione said, rolling her eyes as she placed Harry's glass back on the table. "The wizarding world could come to an end and you two would swear you didn't get the memo. Yes, Malfoy is on Fudge's Commission. You know how well-connected he is with the Ministry. He practically runs the place; Fudge is just a figure-head. I think it is to keep the Commission away from Pure Blood families. They can't have their names being tarnished by unseemly reports of child abuse in their faultless families. That just is not allowed. Wealth and ancient bloodlines don't tolerate impropriety, you know."

"No, sorry, I wouldn't know about that," Ron grumbled, as he glowered over at Draco Malfoy who sat at the Slytherin's table. The platinum blond was chatting up his cronies Crabbe and Goyle, with the air of one who owned the world. Maybe he did.

"Ha, ha. You know what I mean," Hermione said, taking a sip of her pumpkin juice. "Your family is Pure Blood, Ron, but you know how these things work. Neville's family got in the Daily Prophet because they are Muggle-born and half-blood sympathizers, at least his grandmother is anyway."

"So, I guess –"

The hall went deathly silent as Snape rose to his feet. The grim potions master didn't need to tinkle a glass, bang a gavel, or clear his throat to get students' attention. His presence was quite sufficient.

"Good evening," Snape said, as he cast his depthless gaze upon the wide-eyed students. "As you undoubtedly are aware we have lost one of our own, Neville Longbottom, to the scourge of suspected child abuse. He will be missed greatly. In that vein, Dumbledore is away in relation to this tragic event and I am serving as acting headmaster in his absence."

The temperature in the hall plummeted, for Harry the freeze was sub-zero. He placed his hands on his lap so neither he nor anyone else in the crowded hall could see them shaking.

"These are difficult times," Snape said, as hundreds of nervous eyes looked at him. It was a sea of faces, open and honest, lean and secretive, and others simply kind and thoughtful. They shared a common thing: uncertainty. Snape had been a teacher long enough to recognize the signs when young people wanted to flee from a situation and this was, clearly, was such a circumstance.

"As you know, the Ministry of Magic has created the Commission for Wizard Child Health and Safety to curb these incidents of violence against our young people. In service toward this goal, this Commission will oversee the examination of all of Hogwarts students for signs of abuse. In the letter that your parents received a few days ago, it is our right and duty to performs these examinations. The Hogwarts teachers and administrators, who have Medi-wizard certification, will do this unfortunate task. The right to do so is given to us by Wizarding Educational School Code 9-4, Section 39, paragraph 7, line 4 – which specifies that while you are here at Hogwarts, we act in loco parentis. This means, for those of you not versed in Latin, we act in place of your parents while you are under our supervision."

It was clear by the motionless students, that the idea of the grim potions master acting in loco parentis was a thought best served cold. With a "parent" like Snape, who needs enemies?

"Therefore," Snape continued, gesturing toward Lucius Malfoy, "one of the representatives from the Commission is here to monitor the examination process. Mr. Malfoy, welcome."

"Harry," Hermione hissed, as she grabbed one of his hands on his lap that was trembling. "It's okay!"

"Hermione," Harry croaked, as he gently pulled his hand from her grasp, "please, turn back around. I'm alright. I'm just a little cold. Really, I'm just not feeling well."

"Thank you, Sev – ah – Professor Snape," Lucius said standing, as Snape nodded in acknowledgment. "My dear, young people," Harry heard Ron tisk next to him, "as your headmaster has so eloquently stated, the Commission will oversee this examination by your teachers and administrators. They will be assisted by several Healers from St. Mungo's to speed up this process. We plan to have it concluded in two weeks. You will be notified of the scheduled day and time of your personal examination. If there are any questions, as I am sure there will be, your teachers and other," Malfoy cleared his throat, loco parentis will be available to discuss your concerns. If, however, none of these options are desirable, you are welcome to bring your inquiries to myself, as I will be staying at the castle, for the duration of the examination process."

Harry heard Ron's muffled coughing fit, "Juice went down the wrong way", his choking friend gasped. Harry glanced at the younger Malfoy, who has his chest out so far; Harry thought if he was wearing a shirt, instead of wizard's robes, he'd pop the buttons.

"We are in for a rough ride," Hermione said, as the elder Malfoy resumed his seat at the staff table.

"Snape, Malfoy, who's next on this happy list? He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named," Ron asked, as the noise in the hall resumed. Harry noticed that some of the students were quiet as they finished their dessert, Seamus was one of them. Harry chided himself for feeling panicky about the looming exam, he wasn't abused. So what, if Snape was doing the exam? The potion master was a bully and who cared what he thought about anything especially, the most likely, uninteresting results of Harry's exam?

It had been a long day. Severus stood in the headmaster's office. Dumbledore had insisted that he use it. Dumbledore claimed it reinforced the sense of the school having a leader at the helm. Dumbledore told the potions master that the portraits of the previous headmasters, which hung in the office, would tell him if Severus wasn't in the office during the times he didn't have his classes. Severus scowled in irritation as he looked at the sheeting rain falling from the night sky. He just completed the schedule of the first students for the exam the next day. It was going to be pleasant, with nervous students and skittish loco parentis wrecking havoc in the castle. Add Lucius to the lovely mix and it added up nothing short of a super fantastic day loaded with tons of fun, Severus griped. Groaning, he took a sip of heavily sugared tea into which he had added a moderate dose of Calming Draft. Placing the schedule on the desk for the house elf to take for delivery to the students during the night, Snape reflected that Madam Pomfrey and Professor Flitwick were dependable and would help him manage the situation. The Wolf, Lupin, was out of action – full moon. Minerva was with Dumbledore or she would have the wonderful duty of acting headmaster, grimaced Snape as he resentfully sat in one of the many squishy armchairs in the large office. He couldn't bring himself to sit behind Dumbledore's desk.

Crack! Severus turned as a house elf appeared and took the schedules for the students. He reassured the house elf that there was nothing that he needed now, other than a small bit of peace and a reasonable amount of rest he thought. He was about to leave the office for his quarters when a knock came on the door. What now?

"Come," Severus said, as he seated himself back in one of the chairs.

"Good. Glad to have caught you before you could crawl back to your dungeon", Lucius said, as he closed the door behind him. It just keeps getting better and better. The good times just don't end. Severus sighed, as he drank more tea.

"What do you want, Lucius," Severus said, gesturing to one of the chairs across from him.

"A bit terse, this evening," Lucius said as he took the chair next to the potions master.

"It has been a long day," Severus said, shifting in his seat trying to get more personal space. Will this day ever end, Severus thought as Malfoy's grey eyes crinkled in amusement at his discomfort.

"I'm sure it has been, but that's no excuse for bad manners. Didn't even offer me a firewhiskey. My, my, my, your peasant background is showing, Severus. You really should keep an eye on that. You have worked hard to gain the respect of proper Purebloods, do not let your efforts go to waste, potion master."

"My patience is poor in the best of times, so I am sure you are aware of my level of tolerance for verbal volleys. What. Do. You. Want," Severus said, as he gripped the arms of his chair.

"To the point then. Any – um – discrepancies that the exam might show students that matter -"

"They all matter," Severus interrupted.

"However, you say. Any problems with Pureblood students – ah – let me be clear, worthy Purebloods. Reprehensible blood traitors such as the Weasleys, don't count. You will report those exam results directly to me. The Commission with handling them appropriately."

"Meaning you will sweep them under the rug," Severus said, as he rubbed his temples.

"Meaning, any troublesome results will be handled discreetly. We cannot have any of our notable families plastered across the Daily Prophet. It just will not do. It is not acceptable for the good of our wizarding society," Lucius said.

"Funny to hear you say that," Severus remarked.

"You seemed to think discretion was right when we were in school together," Lucius snapped, as he stood, glowering at Severus.

"Touché. Bringing up old history? Well, I have struck a chord," Severus said, as he tented his fingers together and as he looked into the furious, pale grey eyes of the wealthy financier.

"You will do as I have directed," Lucius said, as he leaned down into Severus' face, placing his hands on the arms of the acting headmaster's seat.

"And, if I don't," Severus said, remaining motionless as Lucius loomed over him; Severus refused to give Lucius the satisfaction of knowing he was getting under the potions master's skin. There were few things that rattled Severus. However, the invasion of the potion master's personal space always disconcerted Severus, a fact that Lucius knew.

"You know," Lucius said, leaning closer to Severus and pressing his advantage, "the Potter boy reminds me of you when you were younger. Brooding mannerisms, stiff posture, the boy even has your bone structure. You might want to forget, but you and I were in school together. What was the boy's mother's name", he paused, "Ah, yes, it comes to me, Lily, Lily Evans! You and she were good friends, as I recall. Until I helped you understand how hanging around Mudbloods wasn't to your advantage. I was so - pleased - when you finally realized how your betters could help a half-blood make it in our society, potions master -or should I say - headmaster."

"Do not use that offensive Muggle term", Severus said, his mind was frozen, it was the only safe response. He held Lucius' intense gaze, but he leaned as far back in his seat as possible.

"No matter, you have your directives. I am confident you will do the right thing," Lucius said as he stood, returning Severus' space. "I run the ministry, Fudge is my puppet, you know that. Do not forget it, my calculating friend. There are consequences for those who suffer lapses of memory where I am concerned," Lucius said, as he closed the door behind him with a snap.

Alone, with only the portraits for the company, Severus stood and reaching for his tea, he saw his hands shaking. What does he know? Nothing. How could he? There were no records to dispute James Potter being the boy's father. Lily and I made sure of it. Had we not? These thoughts raced through Severus' mind as he left the headmaster's office, walking on legs that were rubbery from the adrenaline surging through his body.

As Harry made his way to bed, he thought about the events of the day. The Commission, Malfoy, the exams... He should have known that something like this was going to happen when he read that first article by Rita Skeeter over the summer, right before he came back to Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My first story and chapter! I enjoy twisting plot lines and placing unlikely characters in unusual situations. I am new to fiction writing! The author appreciates comments, so please review! Thanks!


	2. Why Is Life So Hard?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Harry discovers tragic news about a friend. Rita Skeeter is back and in fine form. The politicians create a Commission. Lucius promotes Pureblood families. Harry dreads returning to Hogwarts.

"Freak."

"Nancy boy."

"Burden."

"Ungrateful little whelp."

Each of these nasty words swirled through Harry's mind as he unfolded his copy of the Daily Prophet that he had delivered secretly to Privet Drive. Harry had written to the distribution center of the Daily Prophet, explaining his situation and his relatives', especially Uncle Vernon, reaction to owls. So, the owls that delivered Harry's copy of the Daily Prophet had a charm placed on them which made them invisible to Muggles. It was the fortnight before Harry was to leave the Dursleys' to return to Hogwarts for his third year. The red "X"s on his calendar marking the countdown to September 1st, told a horrific tale. Each of those "X"s marked a day of abuse, starvation, and mental cruelty Harry had suffered at the hands of "blood". The seven locks outside his room gave silent testimony to Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia's "care" of The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Sighing, Harry opened the paper. Thin sunlight came through the streaked and dirty windows of Harry's bedroom, illuminating that morning's edition of the Daily Prophet. Opening the paper, trying to ignore his rumbling stomach (his daily ration of tea and a tin of soup wouldn't be shoved through the cat flap in his bedroom door until 1 o'clock that afternoon), Harry skimmed over the article about an escaped criminal from Azkaban. A hunt was on for Sirius Black (whoever that was, Harry thought), by the best team of Aurors from the Ministry of Magic. Then his emerald green eyes caught on a headline:

INCIDENTS OF CHILD ABUSE ON THE RISE IN THE WIZARDING COMMUNITY

by Rita Skeeter

Thinking that this was important to him for some unknown reason, Harry's jaw clenched and his knuckles whitened as he began to read:

Once only known to occur in the Muggle world, child abuse is beginning to be seen in our Wizarding community. While these incidents are only occurring in non-Pure Blood families, these stunning cases (which have resulted in the death of several children) have prompted Cornelius Fudge, Minister of Magic, to create the Commission for Wizard Child Health and Safety to examine this disturbing phenomenon. Indeed, the Commission will oversee the examination of all Hogwarts students for signs of abuse when they return to the prestigious school this fall.

"The safety and well-being of our children is our utmost concern. We cannot allow these horrific incidents to continue. This strikes at the heart of who we are as a wizarding community, the abuse of children at the hands of their relatives is an atrocity and an abomination, which we intend to address through this Commission," says Fudge as he introduced the number of members to Commission in a press conference Thursday.

The Commission has issued a statement of its goals and objectives, indicating that while it will be a vigilant and thorough process to ferret out child abuse, it will not be a witch hunt. Innocent people will not be falsely accused nor convicted of child abuse. The public has nothing to fear from the Commission's activities. The Commission will lead the efforts to capture the heinous perpetrators and bring them before the Wizengamot for trial. The Commission, in its presentation, outlined several levels of punishment for committing child abuse, up to and including a life sentence in Azkaban.

"It is a welcome action by the Ministry," says Lucius Malfoy, father of Draco Malfoy who is entering his third year at Hogwarts. "Our respectable family of Pure Bloods sees this as a positive direction that is being taken to curb the atrocious activities of – ah – other types of wizarding households. These actions must be taken into hand, or they may contaminate the better elements of our society. This – infestation – of the horrific acts of child abuse must be exercised from our proper wizarding community."

So along with new classes and teachers for Hogwarts students in the fall, they will have an additional exam – by the Commission for Wizard Child Health and Safety. What child abusers lurk among us? Who will the Commission bring before the Wizengamot? What children suffer at the hands of these wolves in sheep's clothing?

In Two Weeks: Hogwarts and the Commission for Wizard Child Health and Safety: Challenges and Revelations.

Harry was wrong; his life could get worse than it already was. Would he have to take this exam? Who would perform it? What would it discover about him? Harry didn't thinkhe was abused. The Dursleys weren't all that great, but child abuse? Nope, not here.

The clicks of the locks to his room being opened startled Harry out of his ruminations and a voice yelled, "Oi! Boy! Get down here and fix our breakfast!"

Twelve years of being addressed as such (Harry came to live with the Dursleys when he was 1 year old), left him with no doubt that a difficult day was ahead. Even though Harry didn't think he was abused, he often dreamed of a good, kind, and caring benefactor would appear one day on the Dursleys' doorstep and whisk him away to a better life, one where he got three meals a day and had socks with no holes in them. Harry opened his door and trudged down the stairs to begin another day of endless work around the house and garden.

A few days later, Harry looked at his calendar and saw that he had only two more days before he left for Hogwarts. He looked out the window into the grey and rainy morning and saw his snowy owl Hedwig coming through his window. Hermione had placed the same invisibility charm on Hedwig that was used by the distribution center of the Daily Prophet and Harry had been able to pry open the window in his bedroom for Hedwig to come and go, so she wasn't shut up all day (unlike Harry when he wasn't working). Today she had a letter that she dropped on Harry's small desk before she hooted a greeting to him as she flew to her perch for a much need rest. Harry opened the letter. It was from Hermione. Her handwriting was scrawled and excited:

Dear Harry,

Have you read the Daily Prophet this morning? It's just awful! Neville! Can you believe it? I knew that Fudge created that Commission about child abuse, but Neville? Harry, Neville is dead!

Harry gasped and sat down on his bed as his head swam. Knowing what was about to happen, he dropped Hermione's letter to the floor as put his head between his knees. The room slowly stopped spinning. He sat up and poured himself a glass of water from the pitcher on his desk, he wasn't allowed into the kitchen for food or drink. He couldn't eat or drink any of the Dursley's food, even while he was cleaning. He couldn't sneak food because Aunt Petunia was always watching him, with a jaundiced eye, as he cleaned the kitchen to her exacting standards. With a trembling hand, he drained his glass. He picked up the letter and began to read again:

The Daily Prophet is sketchy on the details because I think they're trying to protect Neville's family, they're Pure Bloods. But one of his Uncles has been taken into custody! Oh, Harry, this is terrible! Did you read about the exams that they are going to be doing at Hogwarts? I think that is good because maybe, they will be able to catch other abuse cases before another student dies! How are you? Are the Dursleys treating you alright? I am so worried about you, Ron is too!

Hermione

Seeking to keep his nervous friend from doing something rash, he penned back a quick reply assuring her that he was alright and his sadness about Neville. He woke a disgruntled Hedwig, who flew out the window with this letter to Hermione. The Daily Prophet hadn't been delivered, yet, and Harry paced the floor until the owl with the newspaper arrived. He paid the owl a knut and hastily opened the paper. The front headline featured Neville's tragic story:

HORRIFIC CASE OF CHILD ABUSE AND MISSING THE SIGNS:

THE CASE OF NEVILLE LONGBOTTOM

by Rita Skeeter

On Tuesday afternoon, Neville Longbottom was found dead in the family home of his grandmother, Augusta Longbottom. The authorities were called by the boy's uncle, Thomas Longbottom, who claimed he found the boy cold and blue in his bedroom. Neville was in the care of his uncle, as his grandmother was traveling abroad. The investigators, based on evidence from the boy's body, contacted the newly formed Commission for Wizard Child Health and Safety regarding the boy's death. A few hours later, Thomas Longbottom was taken into custody for questioning and has since been charged with the boy's death. He is currently scheduled to go on trial before the Wizengamot during the second week of October. The Commission has released a brief statement reiterating their commitment to rooting out any and all cases of child abuse.

"This is one of the most troubling cases of child abuse I have seen," says a source close to the investigation, who spoke on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publically. "The boy's body told us a tale of longtime abuse. We found broken bones, concussions, bruises, second and third-degree burns, and spell damage. There is even evidence of the Cruciatus curse had been used on the boy multiple times over an extended period of time. The boy's most recent injuries were only a day old."

"We are a respectable family, but I guess you never know what goes on behind closed doors," says a family member of the Longbottoms. "Augusta is heartbroken, she loved Neville so much. She blames herself; she thought Neville was safe with his uncle."

Albus Dumbledore, the Headmaster of Hogwarts, was contacted regarding the tragedy, "Neville was well liked here at Hogwarts. He was one of the favorites of students, teachers, and staff. He was a kind, gentle boy who excelled in Herbology. He will be greatly missed and we will do all we can to help his family through this difficult time."

This is a case that reminds the wizarding community to be vigilant for signs of child abuse as it can happen in any type of family, even our more notable ones.

Harry put the paper down and began, for the first time in his life, to dread returning to Hogwarts.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Rita Skeeter, though dispicable, is a wonderful character who adds richness and depth to any storyline! The author appreciates comments, so please review! Thanks!


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